Days of Hollowords
by takaondo
Summary: Preparing for a Halloween event held by the school, the last days of October were busy ones for Kurosaki Ichigo and his fellow students. Perhaps so busy, that even Kuchiki Rukia nearly missed the reason why he was so against the idea. IchiRuki Four-Shot
1. Intro to the Melancholy

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** Four-Shot written for BA's **Halloween give away: Holloword.** 4 words are given, each can fit an "horror theme" or a "lighthearted theme": one word is one theme, you can combine them or do them separately. **Give away will be open from 1st October to 31th October.**

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_Broom_

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><p><em><strong>Intro to the Melancholy<strong>_

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It was already the late afternoon in the small city of Karakura. A clear, beautiful orange sky sheltered most of the landscape under its warm glow. The last rays of the sun were starting to retreat, and the shadows that hid away from the light of the day grew with each passing moment, leaving the colorful leaves of the autumn season to gradually lose their luster to the oncoming night.

By this time, the students of Karakura High school should have all but left, yet there were still quite a few students remaining on the school grounds. From sweeping leaves to placing pumpkins, they were all preparing the school with an assortment of Halloween decorations, and though it all seemed like hard work, the air around them was filled with excitement for the oncoming holiday.

Staring from a second story window of the main building was a man who seemed to feel quite the opposite of those below him. Kurosaki Ichigo's trademark scowl deepened at the antics of his fellow students, and he leaned further into the arm that he had propped his head against on the windowsill.

"You shouldn't be slacking off, Ichigo." A voice said from nearby. "We still have two more floors to clean up."

Ichigo's expression fell blank as he turned to the owner of that authoritarian voice. Dressed in the same school uniform that she wore from more than seventeen months ago was Kuchiki Rukia. Though her hair style had changed, her personality had remained nearly the same, but with a broomstick in one hand and a dustpan in another, it was almost hard to believe that the person in front of him was really a Shinigami.

"Yeah, yeah." Ichigo replied casually, taking the broom that was leaning on the wall next to him.

"Aren't you excited about the Halloween event our class is going to participate in, Ichigo?" Rukia asked eagerly as the two of them started to sweep the floor. "We're turning the school into a haunted castle! There's going to be all kind of weird events like apple bobbing, costume contests, and carving jack-o'-lanterns!"

"Don't call those events weird when you were the one who suggested them." Ichigo said off-handedly.

"After that, we're going to the cemetery to do the 'test of courage!'"

"Why would a Shinigami want to do a test of courage event anyways?"

"Lighten up, Ichigo." Rukia said as she looked up at him. She gave him a small smirk. "You almost sound like you were afraid or something."

Ichigo simply ignored her comment and continued to sweep as though she didn't say anything at all. Irritated by his indifference, Rukia scowled lightly and her eyebrows furrowed above her violet eyes. Without even a hint or warning, the brush of her broom hit the lower part of Ichigo's back with a rather satisfying 'thump', and it caused him to grunt in pain.

"What the hell was that for?" Ichigo asked heatedly as he turned to her with a deep scowl.

Any anger that he had felt was quickly forgotten as his features lit up with surprise at the serious expression she wore on her face. It was a nostalgic sight for him. It was the same expression she often wore when she was scolding him, and he couldn't help but notice just how sternly she looked at him.

"You've been sulking the entire time we've been here." Rukia said firmly. She continued to scrutinize him as though she was searching for something. "If you didn't want any part of this in the first place, you could have just said so."

Ichigo turned away impassively.

"Shut up." He replied curtly as he scratched the back of his head. "How could I have possibly said 'no' with how happy you looked when the idea was brought up? You've been looking forward to this ever since you heard about it, haven't you?"

"Ichigo..." Rukia muttered with surprise.

He continued to look away, and a small smile graced her lips at his habit. This was the incredibly roundabout act he would always put on when it came to things he was embarrassed to talk about, or things that made him uncomfortable.

"Che. You always look so excited when these kinds of things come up." Ichigo added. He turned to her, confused at the way she was looking at him. "What?"

"It looks like you can be really thoughtful sometimes, Ichigo." She said with a slight huff.

"I don't even know if I should take that as a compliment or not." Ichigo replied with a scowl.

He started to make his way down the hallway without another word, and she watched him thoughtfully for a few moments. She smiled again before she quickly walked back up to his side.

"Hey Ichigo! I have a good idea." Rukia said smugly. "How about you do my portion of the cleaning?"

Ichigo grumbled loudly with displeasure.

"Now that's an idea that I will definitely reject no matter what!"

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_End of Chapter 1_

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**Final words:** N/A


	2. Can't See, Can't Hear, No Fear

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** N/A

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_Full Moon_

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><p><strong><em>Can't See, Can't Hear, No Fear<em>**

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The crickets were chirping as the full moon rose over Karakura City.

With many voices still chattering, there was still a lot activity going on at Karakura High School even though the night was no longer young. By now, several plastic ghosts and other forms of Halloween decorations hung from the windows of different classrooms, while others had been placed throughout the school grounds. The entranceway itself was surrounded by an inadequately painted background of a castle gate, a valiant attempt to complete a haunted look to the building.

Alone and away from all the others, Kuchiki Rukia leaned quietly against the railing on the roof of the newly-decorated high school as she stared up at the moon. She seemed perfectly content being unaccompanied with the peace that surrounded her. It was a quiet evening that night, and the glow of the full moon lit the darkness nearly bright enough that even streetlights would have been unnecessary.

Distracted, she didn't even notice the door to the roof opening behind her.

"What are you doing out here, Rukia?" A voice asked.

"Ichigo?" Rukia said as she turned to the voice. Kurosaki Ichigo stood at the entranceway. "Is everything finally finished?"

"It might have taken a while, but we're finally done decorating for stupid 'Haunted Castle' event." Ichigo said as he walked up to her side. He leaned up against the rail and continued to speak as he looked up into the night sky. "I can't believe we had to stay here so late to finish up."

"Well, at least everything is done for tomorrow." Rukia said brightly. "Good work, Ichigo."

"You too." Ichigo replied. He nudged her gently with his elbow. "Even though you've been out here for the past few hours moon gazing."

"You told me to take a break." Rukia said as she glanced at him with a smirk.

Ichigo scowled briefly at her response, but it faded away as quickly as it had come. They two of them shortly fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to stare at the moon above them.

"It's a full moon tonight." Rukia said. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Ah, it is." Ichigo replied.

"I thought it was kind of funny when I read from that some people of the past used to be afraid of the moon." She said humorously. "They actually thought it was some beast that would eat the sun, or something that was pure evil."

"Since the moon is so far away, people in the past have always wondered what it really was." Ichigo explained. "People are often afraid of the things that they don't understand, so I can see why those kinds of stories were created. They avoid seeking the truth so they never have to face the unknown."

Ichigo's expression softened slightly.

"But the only way to overcome fear is to face it head on." He continued. "Just like when people finally landed on the moon, they understood that it was really nothing more than a big, empty rock floating above the earth."

He smirked.

"But still, there are some people still who think the moon is made out of cheese, and that bunnies come from the moon."

Rukia's eyes widened, and with a cute and almost child-like expression on her face, she turned to Ichigo to confirm his last statement.

"They don't come from the moon...?" She asked.

Ichigo stared at her with a mix of surprise and disbelief on his face and he couldn't help but give her a humorous look that immediately told her that he was mocking her. Rukia stuttered slightly as a pink tinge touched her pale cheeks, both out of embarrassment and out of anger.

"How dare you laugh at me!" She finally yelled with a fist raised.

"Sorry." Ichigo replied as looked away, unable to completely wipe the smirk off his face.

"You better be." Rukia said, frowning lightly.

Ichigo's expression fell impassive, and Rukia looked at him with puzzlement at his quick change in demeanor.

"But it's weird, you know?" He said quietly. "Fear is actually the reason why some people enjoy this stupid holiday, but it's also the same reason why people hate it."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of taking the 'test of courage.'" She said jokingly.

Expecting a retort of some sort, Rukia was surprised at Ichigo's silence. She barely caught a glimpse of his eyes when he turned away from her. For the brief moment that she did, she had seen them fall completely distant.

"Ichigo...?" Rukia asked tentatively.

"It's getting late so we should start heading home. I'll be waiting for you downstairs when you're ready to leave." Ichigo said as he glanced at her over his shoulder. His normal expression had taken back over. "Don't make me wait too long, okay?"

Rukia nodded to him, and he left without another word.

She turned back to the railing, and her eyes became fixated on the moon once more as the memories of the recent days flashed in her mind. One by one, she remembered the way Ichigo had looked and acted. The scowls he wore. The impassive attitude. The words he spoke. The way he hid himself from her.

It all made sense to her now.

"I see..." Rukia muttered to herself. "So that's why..."

Dark clouds started to disfigure the moon.

"You've been so uneasy."

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_End of Chapter 2_

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**Final words:** N/A


	3. Broken Down Normality

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** N/A

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_Castle_

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><p><em><strong>Broken Down Normality<strong>_

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It was finally Halloween night, and the air of Karakura High School was filled with joy and excitement. Students wore costumes of all types, ranging from traditional costumes like witches and werewolves to cosplays of their favorite movie villains. They roamed freely among the classrooms which were used to host all different types of Halloween events.

Kurosaki Ichigo, who wore his normal autumn outfit, stuck out like a sore thumb even more than he did usually from the rest of the students, but he paid no attention to that notion, and even ignored most of the events happening in the classrooms as he passed by them in the hall.

"Kurosaki-kun!" A voice said cheerfully. Ichigo glanced over his shoulder to find Inoue Orihime skipping her way towards him. The ghost costume she wore was a rather simple design, but it still charming on her. "Isn't this 'Haunted Castle' event great or what?"

"I guess." Ichigo replied off-handedly. He looked around the halls. "Where's Rukia?"

"I met with Kuchiki-san a few moments ago in the hall, but I think she went outside." She replied as she looked down the hall. A sad smile made its way onto her face as she remembered Rukia's expression from earlier that day. "It was odd though. She looked really distracted when I was talking to her."

Ichigo's features hardened slightly as he turned away.

"I see." He replied.

Outside, Kuchiki Rukia sat on a lonely bench that was nearly hidden by the trees that surrounded it. Just like Ichigo, she had chosen to wear her autumn outfit over a costume. With a slightly pained expression on her face, she seemed completely lost in thought and didn't even seem to notice Ichigo's arrival.

He stared at her forlorn figure from beyond the trees for a few moments before he walked forward. Wordlessly, he carefully sat down next to her on the bench. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes before looking away once more.

"Ichigo? What are you doing here?" Rukia asked.

"That should be my line. You're missing out on everything." Ichigo said. He paused for a moment before he continued. "What's the matter with you? You've been distant all day."

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Idiot." Ichigo replied brusquely. "Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?"

"Since this is your last year of High School, I thought it was only fair that you got to experience everything you possibly could." She said as she looked up into the night sky. "Because of everything that's happened after you met me, you didn't get to experience anything that normal people your age would have."

She turned to him, and their eyes met for first time since he had sat down next to her.

"But I was naive." She explained. "Without really thinking about your feelings, I ended up dragging you into something you didn't want to be a part of."

Ichigo's face lit up with surprise, but it quickly disappeared when he looked away.

"Is that what's been distracting you?" He replied lightly. "That's just like you - all you ever do is end up worrying about me. That part of you still hasn't changed since we met."

He looked up to the night sky, just as she did.

"I said so before that I'm doing this for you right? The least you can do is be happy about it."

"But..." Rukia tried to say.

"It's okay." Ichigo said, interrupting her. "I am seriously okay now, Rukia. I am better now than I ever was during the last seventeen months of my life."

"Is it because you've regained your powers?" She asked.

"It's because you're here with me right now." He corrected her without missing a beat.

Rukia's eyes widened in surprise at his statement before they slowly softened. She slowly pulled her gaze away from his, and looked down tenderly. Even though she tried her best to hide it, the happiness she felt tugged at the corner of her lips, and she could not help but smile at what he had said.

"What a foolish thing to say." She said quietly.

Ichigo slowly got back onto his feet, and to Rukia's surprise, held out his hand to her.

"It's almost about time for us to head over to the cemetery." He said. His eyes lit up playfully. "You're coming, right?"

A small smile appeared on Rukia's face as she reached up to take his hand.

"Ah."

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_End of Chapter 3_

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**Final words:** N/A


	4. Two Way Sympathies

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** Final chapter.

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_Cemetery_

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><p><em><strong>Two Way Sympathies<strong>_

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Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia walked through Karakura Cemetery. It was a pleasant night to be out; the air was crisp, and the sky was so clear that there was not a single cloud could be seen. Though perhaps it was not the scariest night it could have been for Halloween, the screams that echoed over the cemetery said otherwise.

"Looks like they are starting to scare people already." Ichigo said.

"Seems like it." Rukia added.

The both of them turned towards some rustling bushes with almost bored expressions on their faces and just as they expected, a figure popped out in a vain attempt to scare the two of them. It was none other than Asano Keigo who was dressed as a vampire just for this event.

"Boo - OOF!"

Before he could even finish, he was abruptly punched in the face by Ichigo.

"Oh, it's you Keigo." Ichigo said blankly as he pulled back his fist.

"Don't 'Oh, it's you Keigo' me! You knew exactly who it was!" He screamed comically as he clutched his face. "Ugh! I think my nose is broken!"

Ichigo ignored him and started to walk away. Rukia gave Keigo an apologetic look before she followed after him.

"Ichigo, I think you hit him a little bit too hard." Rukia said.

"He'll be just fine." Ichigo replied casually.

Keigo sat up, and watched the two of them leave him. He continued to rub the spot where Ichigo had hit him.

"Ichigo's even colder than usual today." He said with a frown.

Off in the distance, Ichigo and Rukia walked for a while in silence and for a long time, nothing else could be heard besides the sounds of their footsteps.

The sounds of Ichigo's footsteps suddenly ceased, and he slowly turned his head as his eyes fell upon a long flight of stairs that led to the lower level of the cemetery. Rukia immediately stopped next to him, and looked at him with concerned eyes. His hand had unconsciously clenched at his side, a sign of just how uneasy he felt.

He was falling into a world of bad memories once again.

Rukia gently grabbed his arm, and Ichigo looked at her with slight surprise when he was brought out of his daze. He then smiled lightly at her gesture, and turned away once more. Under her calming touch, his hand unclenched.

And just as quickly as he was gone, she had pulled him back.

"Let's keep going, Ichigo." Rukia said quietly. "We don't have to stay here longer than we need to."

"No, let's go down this way first." Ichigo said determinedly.

"But Ichigo, that's..." She replied hesitantly.

"I told you before, didn't I?" He said as he pulled away from her grasp. Her fingers lingered in the air for a bit. "I'm okay now."

Ichigo turned to her at edge of the stairs and waited.

"Come on. Let's get going." He said.

The two of them started to walk down the stairs. They were the same set of stairs that the both of them had run down during their encounter with the Grand Fisher nearly two years ago.

"You knew, didn't you, Rukia?" Ichigo said as they continued down the stairs. "The reason why I didn't want any part of this event. The reason why I didn't want to come here."

His eyes narrowed.

"The reason why I was afraid to come here." He finished.

Rukia remained quiet as she lowered her gaze, but Ichigo didn't need a response from her to know the answer to his question.

They turned the corner a moment later as they reached the bottom, and silently walked past the rows of gravestones. They both stopped and turned to the one that had 'Kurosaki Masaki' etched into the black stone of the grave.

"At first, I thought it was going to be okay. I'm not afraid of the cemetery. I'm not afraid standing here in front of my mother's grave, and I am not afraid of the shame I feel when I remember the things that happened in the past." Ichigo said quietly. "But when I heard that everyone else was going to be here..."

His eyes fell.

"I became afraid of showing them the kind of person I am when I am here." He continued, almost in a whisper. "I didn't want to show them..."

His hands clenched at his side.

"Just how weak I really was."

Rukia closed her eyes.

"Do you know how many times I've seen your weaknesses, Ichigo?" She asked him. "Those times have been countless..."

She looked back up to him.

"But no matter how many times I've seen you break down, it hasn't changed the way I look or think about you." She continued resolutely. Ichigo looked at her with surprise. "No matter how many times you show those weaknesses..."

Her eyes shown fiercely, reflecting both the sincerity and passion she felt.

"You will always be the same Ichigo to me."

"Rukia..." Ichigo muttered with surprise.

"And you've said so yourself, didn't you? 'The only way to overcome fear is to face it head on.'" She added. "So stand there for as long as you need until you figure it out. You can cry, yell, or be angry - do whatever you think your heart needs to, and no matter how long it takes..."

Rukia stepped closer to him to remind him that she was there with him.

"I will stand right here beside you until you are ready." She declared firmly.

Ichigo looked at her gratefully and turned back to his mother's gravestone. His expression softened at the words she spoke and he smiled contently, perhaps for the first time in the longest.

"Thanks, Rukia..."

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_End_

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**Final words:** Have a happy Halloween!


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